CN111771175B - Travel control system for carrier vehicle and travel control method for carrier vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a travel control system and a travel control method of a transport vehicle that can suppress unstable travel when the transport vehicle travels while towing a trolley. The present invention includes: an imaging unit (3) arranged to correspond to the working area of a trolley (2) driven by a transport vehicle (1); and a form acquisition unit (14) based on the imaging unit The captured image including the trolley is used to obtain the form of the trolley; a form judgment unit (14) determines the form of the trolley based on the form of the trolley obtained by the form acquisition unit; The driving is controlled based on the judgment of the form judgment unit.

Description

Driving control system for a transport vehicle, and a driving control method for a transport vehicle

Technical field

The present invention relates to a travel control system for a transport vehicle that drives autonomously while towing a trolley, and a travel control method for the transport vehicle.

Background technique

A guided vehicle (in other words, AGV: Automatic Guided Vehicle) capable of autonomous driving in an unmanned manner is configured to load goods or to tow a trolley loaded with goods in a factory or warehouse, and to drive autonomously. installation. When such a transport vehicle tows a trolley and travels on a transport road (in other words, a work area), the AGV or the trolley may swing left and right with respect to the direction of travel, making the driving unstable. Case. In particular, when the AGV changes the direction of travel at corners or turns, the AGV or the trolley may vibrate (in other words, shake), causing the AGV to deviate from the conveyance path it should follow, or it may be inconsistent with the transportation path it is deployed on. Contact with objects or structures in the transport path. In order to solve such a problem, an AGV equipped with a mechanism for suppressing the swing with respect to the traveling direction has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior technical documents

patent documents

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-220048

Contents of the invention

The problem to be solved by the invention

However, when the AGV is driven while towing a trolley loaded with goods, even if the AGV itself has the above-mentioned mechanism, it cannot suppress the shaking of the trolley. Furthermore, the manner in which such shaking occurs depends on the number of trolleys towed by the AGV, the shape of the trolleys, the loading state of the goods relative to the trolleys, or the size or weight of the goods loaded on the trolleys. different. Therefore, with the existing structure, it is difficult to suppress the shaking of the AGV and the trolley.

The present invention was made in view of such actual circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a travel control system for a transport vehicle that can suppress unstable travel when the transport vehicle tows a trolley, and a transport vehicle. Vehicle driving control method.

Methods used to solve problems

The travel control system of a transport vehicle according to the present invention is proposed to achieve the above object. It is a travel control system of a transport vehicle that travels autonomously with a trolley. It is characterized in that according to the above-mentioned method of traveling in the work area, The form of the trolley is used to control the movement of the transport vehicle.

According to the present invention, by controlling the traveling of the transport vehicle according to the form of the trolley, unstable traveling of the transport vehicle while towing the trolley is suppressed.

In the above-mentioned structure, it is preferable to adopt a structure including: an imaging unit arranged corresponding to the working area of the transport vehicle; and a form acquisition unit based on the image captured by the imaging unit. The image including the trolley is used to obtain the shape of the trolley.

According to this structure, since the trolley is actually connected to the transport vehicle, the traveling of the transport vehicle can be controlled more accurately.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned structure, it is preferable to adopt a structure in which the first characteristic part is provided on the trolley, and the form acquisition part is based on the image captured by the imaging part including the first characteristic part. The shape of the trolley can be obtained from the image including the characteristic part.

According to this configuration, the form of the vehicle can be obtained more accurately from the first characteristic portion included in the image captured by the imaging unit.

In the above-mentioned structure, it is preferable to adopt a structure including a form determination unit that determines the form of the cart based on the form of the cart acquired by the form acquisition unit. A judgment is made, and the traveling of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the judgment of the form judgment unit.

According to this structure, by judging a more specific form based on the acquired form, it is possible to more accurately control the traveling of the transport vehicle.

In each of the above structures, it is preferable to adopt a structure in which the second characteristic part is provided on the transport vehicle, and the form acquisition part is based on the image captured by the imaging part including the second characteristic part. The connection form of the transport vehicle with respect to the trolley is acquired from an image inside the vehicle, and the traveling of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the connection form acquired by the form acquisition unit.

According to this configuration, the connection form of the transport vehicle with respect to the trolley can be reflected in the travel control of the transport vehicle.

Furthermore, in each of the above structures, it is preferable that the work area has a passing point along which the trolley passes, and the imaging unit is arranged to correspond to the passing point.

According to this structure, since the imaging unit is disposed at the passing point along which the trolley passes, the shape of the trolley is acquired based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and the travel of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the shape, it is more convenient. Unstable driving is reliably suppressed when the shape of the vehicle behind the vehicle changes before and after the passing point.

Furthermore, the travel control method of a transport vehicle of the present invention is a travel control method of a transport vehicle that travels autonomously with a trolley, and is characterized in that the transport vehicle is controlled according to the form of the trolley traveling in the work area. Control the driving of the car.

In addition, the travel control system of a transport vehicle according to the present invention is a travel control system of a transport vehicle that travels autonomously with a trolley, and is characterized in that it controls all the movements of the trolley traveling in the work area. to control the movement of the truck.

According to the present invention, the traveling of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the movement of the trolley, thereby suppressing unstable traveling of the transport vehicle while towing the trolley.

In the above-mentioned structure, it is preferable to adopt a structure including: an imaging unit arranged corresponding to the work area of the trolley; and an action acquisition unit based on the image captured by the imaging unit. The motion of the dolly is obtained from the image including the dolly.

According to this structure, since the movement of the truck when it actually travels in the work area can be acquired, the travel of the transport vehicle can be controlled more accurately.

In addition, in the above-mentioned structure, it is preferable to adopt a structure in which the first characteristic part is provided on the trolley, and the motion acquisition part is based on the image captured by the imaging part including the first characteristic part. The movement of the trolley is obtained through the image including the characteristic part.

According to this configuration, the motion of the vehicle can be more accurately obtained from the first characteristic portion included in the image captured by the imaging unit.

In the above-mentioned structure, it is preferable to adopt a structure including a traveling state determination unit that determines the movement of the vehicle based on the movement of the vehicle acquired by the movement acquisition unit. The traveling state is determined, and the traveling of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the determination of the traveling state determining unit.

In this structure, it is preferable that the traveling state determination unit determines whether the vehicle is located on a travel path of the vehicle that is preset in the work area. The judgment is made on the inside of the driving area of a predetermined width.

According to this structure, by determining whether the vehicle is located inside the travel area, it can be determined whether the vehicle is traveling normally along the travel path.

Furthermore, in each of the above structures, it is preferable to employ a structure in which the second characteristic part is provided on the transport vehicle, and the motion acquisition part is based on the image captured by the imaging part including the third characteristic part. The motion of the transport vehicle is acquired from the image including the two characteristic parts, and the traveling of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the motion of the transport vehicle acquired by the motion acquisition unit.

According to this structure, since the travel of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the respective actions of the trolley and the transport vehicle, unstable traveling of the transport vehicle while towing the transport vehicle is more effectively suppressed.

Furthermore, in each of the above structures, it is preferable that the working area includes a first area in which the vehicle travels along a virtual straight line, and a third area in which the vehicle travels along a virtual curve. In two areas, the imaging unit is arranged corresponding to the second area.

According to this structure, since the imaging unit is disposed in the second area where shaking is likely to occur when the transport vehicle and the trolley are traveling, the movement of the trolley is acquired based on the image captured by the photography unit, and the movement of the trolley is acquired based on the movement. By controlling the movement of the transport vehicle, unstable travel of the transport vehicle while towing the trolley is more reliably suppressed.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned structure, it is preferable that the work area has a third area where the trolley stops, and the imaging unit is arranged to correspond to the third area.

According to this structure, since the imaging unit is arranged in the third area where the trolley is stopped, the movement of the trolley is acquired based on the image captured by the imaging unit, and the travel of the transport vehicle is controlled based on the movement, therefore the movement of the transport vehicle is controlled. This eliminates unstable driving when the vehicle starts to travel again after it has stopped.

Furthermore, the travel control method of a transport vehicle of the present invention is a travel control method of a transport vehicle that travels autonomously with a trolley, and is characterized in that the transport vehicle is controlled based on the movement of the trolley traveling in the work area. Control the driving of the car.

Description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the travel control system of the transport vehicle in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating an example of the traveling route of the transport vehicle.

Figure 3 is a top view of the truck.

Figure 4 is a top view of the trolley.

Figure 5 is a top view of the trolley.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of travel control of the transport vehicle.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating travel control of a transport vehicle and a trolley based on an operation plan.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating travel control of a transport vehicle and a trolley based on an operation plan.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the travel control system of the transport vehicle in the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating an example of the traveling route of the transport vehicle.

Figure 11 is a top view of the transport truck.

Figure 12 is a top view of the trolley.

Figure 13 is a top view of the trolley.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of travel control of the transport vehicle.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the judgment of the traveling state of the transport vehicle and the trolley.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the judgment of the traveling state of the transport vehicle and the trolley.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the setting of the traveling area for determining the traveling state.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the setting of the traveling area for determining the traveling state.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating the setting of the traveling area for determining the traveling state.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of feedback related to travel control of a transport vehicle.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of feedback related to travel control of a transport vehicle.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of feedback related to travel control of a transport vehicle.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an image obtained by photographing the trolley from the side.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the trolley feature portion.

FIG. 25 is a diagram explaining a modified example of the AGV characteristic part.

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating modifications of the AGV feature portion 22 and the trolley feature portion 25 .

Fig. 27 is a diagram illustrating another modification of the AGV characteristic portion.

FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the AGV and trolley identification means.

FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the AGV and trolley identification means.

FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the AGV and trolley identification means.

FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the AGV and trolley identification means.

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the travel control system of the transport vehicle in the third embodiment.

FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of captured images captured by a plurality of cameras in FIG. 32 .

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, modes for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the embodiments described below, various limitations are made as preferred specific examples of the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is as long as there is no description of the purpose of specifically limiting the present invention in the following description. It is not limited to these methods.

First implementation:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the travel control system of the guided vehicle (hereinafter referred to as AGV) 1 according to the present embodiment. In addition, FIG. 2 is a work area (hereinafter also referred to as a travel route) in which the AGV 1 travels with the trolley 2 based on the operation plan, or loads and unloads cargo with respect to the trolley 2 at passing points described below. A top view illustrating an example. In addition, in FIG. 2 , the dashed-dotted line indicates the virtual travel route R of the AGV 1 , that is, the set route scheduled based on the operation instruction from the information processing device 4 .

The travel control system in this embodiment includes AGV1, a vehicle 2 connected to AGV1, a camera 3 (a type of imaging unit in the present invention) that photographs these AGV1 and vehicle 2 from above, and an information processing device. 4. And wireless communication device 5.

The information processing device 4 is a computer that manages the operation of the AGV 1 . The information processing device 4 creates map data of the traveling route (in other words, map information) or route data based on the operation plan of the AGV 1 (in other words, based on the measurement data on the traveling route received from the AGV 1 for path information).

In addition, as will be described later, the information processing device 4 acquires the number, shape or size of the trolleys 2 towed by the AGV 1 , the loading status of the goods in the trolley 2 , and the information from the image captured by the camera 3 . Various forms of the vehicle 2 such as the entire length from the front AGV 1 to the last vehicle 2, or based on the acquired form, feedback on the travel control is implemented for the AGV 1. In addition, there may be a case where an information processing device serving as a host is further connected to the information processing device 4 .

The wireless communication device 5 is a master station for performing communication under the wireless LAN, and wirelessly connects the wireless communication unit 16 of the information processing device 4, the AGV 1, and the camera 3 to transmit and receive data.

The AGV 1 tows the trolley 2 and travels within the work area in accordance with pre-stored map data and route data. The map data is data created in the information processing device 4 based on measurement data obtained by the AGV 1 actually traveling on the travel route while scanning the laser sensor 11 as will be described later. In addition, the route data is data created based on an operation plan such as which point the AGV 1 passes through which way point and which point it travels to, and is composed of a coordinate group representing the route in the map data.

The AGV 1 in this embodiment has a main body frame 6 , a pair of driving wheels 7 , and a pair of driving parts 8 composed of motors that independently drive the driving wheels 7 . Each of them is provided on the main body frame in a turnable manner. The casters 10 at the four corners of the lower surface of 6, the laser sensor 11 for detecting obstacles on the driving route, the control unit 9 for controlling the laser sensor 11 or the drive unit 8, and the Connection part 12.

Although not shown in the figure, the AGV 1 in this embodiment includes a storage unit that stores map data, route data, etc., a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 5 , a power supply unit, and the like.

The trolley 2 towed by the AGV 1 has a cargo bed 18 , wheels 19 respectively provided at the four corners of the bottom surface of the cargo bed 18 , and connection parts 20 for connecting to the AGV 1 or other trucks 2 . In this embodiment, a plurality of first vehicles 2 a and second vehicles 2 b having different shapes are connected to the AGV 1 . The number of trolleys 2 connected to the AGV 1 is not limited to the two illustrated, and one or three or more may be connected. The cargo bed 18 of the trolley 2 may be, for example, a device formed by combining frame materials such as boxes or pipes, a device having a portion that serves as an enclosure for the loaded cargo, or a flat plate-shaped platform on which the cargo is simply placed. devices and other various forms of devices. In this embodiment, a flat platform 18 is used. Moreover, the front wheel among the wheels 19 of the cargo bed 18 is equipped with the caster 19a which can turn freely so that the traveling direction may be changed according to the traveling of the AGV1. On the other hand, the rear wheel 19b is fixed in the direction that becomes the straight forward direction (in other words, the direction in which the front wheels and the rear wheels are arranged).

The laser sensor 11 included in the AGV 1 is disposed in front of the AGV 1 and measures the distance to the obstacle by irradiating laser light and receiving reflected light reflected from the obstacle. The laser sensor 11 in this embodiment can scan the laser beam left and right with respect to the traveling direction. Furthermore, the AGV 1 travels on the traveling route while recognizing obstacles while scanning the laser sensor 11 , and transmits the measurement data thus obtained to the wireless communication unit 16 of the information processing device 4 via the wireless communication device 5 . By outputting the data, map data of the driving route can be created based on the measurement data. The control unit 9 of the AGV 1 includes a CPU, a storage unit, and the like (not shown). The control unit 9 stores the measurement data obtained by the laser sensor 11 , the map data created by the information processing device 4 based on the measurement data, and the travel scheduled on the transportation route of the map data in the storage unit. Path data related to path R, etc. The control unit 9 is configured to travel on the traveling route based on the route data and the map data so as to pass through the passing points instructed by the information processing device 4 , that is, for example, a point where cargo is loaded and unloaded.

Figure 3 is a top view of AGV1. As shown in this figure, an AGV characteristic portion 22 (a type of second characteristic portion in the present invention) indicating the position or direction on the traveling route is added to the upper surface of AGV 1 .

The AGV characteristic part 22 in this embodiment is composed of a combination of a direction mark 23 formed by an arrow mark indicating the direction of the AGV 1 and a center mark 24 formed by a circle or a point indicating the center of the AGV 1 . The direction mark 23 is formed by an asymmetrical figure or mark in the front-rear direction of the AGV1. Furthermore, as will be described later, the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4 is configured to obtain the position of the AGV 1 on the map data by identifying the AGV feature portion 22 based on the image data captured by the camera 3 (in other words, the coordinates) and the orientation. In addition, it may be configured so that the center of the AGV characteristic part 22 is recognized based on the direction mark 23 . That is, for example, a structure may be adopted in which the top end and the rear end of the arrow mark as the direction mark 23 are recognized and the center of the AGV characteristic part 22 is obtained through calculation.

Figure 4 is a top view of the first trolley 2a, and Figure 5 is a top view of the second trolley 2b. Like the AGV 1 , the vehicle characteristic portion 25 (that is, a type of first characteristic portion in the present invention) is also added to each of the first vehicle 2 a and the second vehicle 2 b .

The trolley feature portion 25 in this embodiment has a frame shape having a predetermined width along the outer peripheral edge of the cargo bed 18 . As in the case of AGV 1 , the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4 can obtain the vehicle 2 by identifying the vehicle feature portions 25 of the respective vehicles 2 a and 2 b based on the image data captured by the camera 3 . Shape.

In the present embodiment, the arithmetic processing unit 14 can obtain the number of trucks 2 connected to and towed by the AGV 1 (that is, the number of trucks), the number of trucks 2, and the number of trucks 2 by identifying the trolley feature portion 25 of each trolley 2. 2 shape, size, etc. In addition, the calculation processing unit 14 obtains the center position of the vehicle 2 from the recognized vehicle feature portion 25 through calculation. Furthermore, based on the AGV characteristic part 22 and the trolley characteristic part 25, it is possible to obtain the AGV1 and the trolleys 2a and 2b arranged in a straight line from the front AGV1 to the last second trolley 2b. full length.

For example, the length from the center of the front AGV 1 to the center of the second rearmost vehicle 2 b can be the total length. Alternatively, the top end position of the front AGV 1 can be obtained through calculation based on the AGV characteristic part 22, and the rear end position of the second last vehicle 2b can be obtained through calculation based on the trolley characteristic part 25, and then The distance from the top position to the rear end position is set to the full length.

In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 14 can obtain the information loaded on the trolley 2 as one of the forms of the trolley 2 based on whether the entire shape of the trolley feature portion 25 is recognized or a partial defect is recognized. Whether cargo B is exposed. That is, like the cart feature portion 25 of the cart 2a shown in FIG. 4 , the overall shape is recognized without defects (excluding minor defects caused by noise, etc.) through template matching described below. In the case where the goods B is not exposed from the cargo platform 18, the situation is obtained. On the other hand, when a part of the shape of the goods B is recognized through template matching like the carriage feature portion 25 of the carriage 2b shown in FIG. 5 , the goods B are obtained from the pallet. The state exposed on 18. In the example of FIG. 5 , during template matching, the frame-shaped pallet feature 25 is recognized in a state in which part of the frame-shaped pallet feature 25 is missing. This allows the goods B to be transferred from the cargo platform 18 to the cargo pallet 18 . The front and back are exposed separately.

In addition, when the cargo bed 18 of the trolley 2 adopts a box-type structure that accommodates cargo inside, and the cargo is covered by the upper surface of the cargo bed 18 when viewed from above (in other words, from the camera 3 side) Next, similarly to the AGV feature portion 22 described above, a trolley feature portion 25 formed by a combination of a direction mark and a center mark can also be provided on the upper surface of the cargo platform 18 (see, for example, FIG. 32 ).

The camera 3 is equipped with a lens, a CCD, a wireless communication unit, etc., not shown, and outputs image data obtained by photographing the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 on the traveling route to the information processing device 4 via wireless communication device 5 Department 16. As shown in FIG. 2 , on the traveling route of AGV 1 , at a position corresponding to the starting point where AGV 1 and trolley 2 start traveling, that is, the starting point of traveling route R, and at a position where AGV 1 temporarily stops and drives towards trolley 2 Cameras 3 are respectively installed at positions corresponding to the passing points V for loading and unloading of goods. Each camera 3 is calibrated on the basis that the position on the map data and the height from the driving route R, that is, the three-dimensional coordinates are fixed in advance, and is adjusted in such a way that the information processing device 4 can obtain the image from the corresponding position through image processing. The AGV characteristic part 22 of the AGV1 and the vehicle characteristic part 25 of the vehicle 2 are recognized in the image captured by the AGV1 or the vehicle 2 on the traveling route.

The information processing device 4 in this embodiment includes a calculation processing unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a wireless communication unit 16. The storage unit 15 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive or a nonvolatile storage element. In addition to the operating system and various application programs including image processing applications, the storage unit 15 also stores the above-mentioned Map data, route data, captured image data from the camera 3, etc. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., not shown, and performs various processes such as image processing based on an operating system stored in the storage unit 15 . In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 14 functions as a form acquisition unit in the present invention, and acquires the form of the AGV 1 , that is, the position on the traveling route, by identifying the AGV feature portion 22 from the image data captured by the camera 3 or orientation. More specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 14 identifies the AGV feature portion 22 through comparison with a reference image (also referred to as a template as appropriate) of the AGV feature portion 22 prepared in advance, that is, template matching. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 recognizes the direction of the arrow mark as the direction indicator 23 to obtain the direction of the AGV 1 . In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 14 recognizes the circle that is the center mark 24 of the AGV feature unit 22, thereby acquiring the coordinates of the AGV 1 on the map data.

Similarly, the arithmetic processing unit 14 recognizes the vehicle feature portion 25 from the image data by matching it with the template of the reference image of the vehicle feature portion 25 prepared in advance, and then obtains the form of the vehicle 2 , that is, the vehicle 2 is connected to the AGV 1 and is connected to the AGV 1 . The number of towed vehicles 2 (in other words, the number of vehicles), the shape of each vehicle 2, whether the cargo B is exposed, and the coordinates of the center of the vehicle 2 on the map data are obtained through calculation. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 obtains the entire length from the front AGV 1 to the second rearmost vehicle 2 b in the above-mentioned manner based on the recognized AGV characteristic part 22 and the trolley characteristic part 25 . In addition, in this embodiment, more specific forms of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 , information such as specific numerical values such as dimensions and weights, are associated with respective templates of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 as form tables. and is stored, that is, registered in the storage unit 15 .

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the traveling control of the AGV 1 (that is, the traveling control method) performed by the information processing device 4 . When an operation instruction is sent from the information processing device 4 to the AGV1, accordingly, the AGV1 pulls the trolley 2 and is set based on the map data and route data as shown in FIG. 2 Drive along the driving path R within the driving route. At this time, the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 a and 2 b are photographed by the camera 3 in the area corresponding to the starting point of the traveling route R and the area corresponding to the passing point V through which the AGV 1 temporarily passes. Then, the information processing device 4 acquires the image data including the AGV1 and the trolleys 2a and 2b captured by the camera 3 (step S1). Next, the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4 performs the above-described template matching on the acquired image data (step S2). Furthermore, as a result of template matching, it is determined whether the AGV characteristic part 22 and the trolley characteristic part 25 can be respectively detected from the image data (step S3). If it is determined that the feature portions 22 and 25 as the AGV feature portion 22 and the trolley feature portion 25 have not been detected (NO), the process returns to step S1 and the camera 3 acquires image data again and performs template matching.

Furthermore, when it is determined in step S3 that each of the characteristic parts 22 and 25 has been detected (YES), based on the detected characteristic parts 22 and 25, the AGV 1 and each of the trolleys 2a and 2b are respectively obtained. form (step S4). That is, the arithmetic processing unit 14 functions as a form acquisition unit and acquires the form of AGV 1 , that is, the position and orientation within the travel route, based on the AGV feature unit 22 , and similarly acquires the vehicle 2 based on the vehicle feature unit 25 (ie, the number of units), the shape of each trolley 2, whether the goods B are exposed, etc. In this way, by identifying each of the characteristic portions 22 and 25 included in the image captured by the camera 3, the forms of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 can be acquired. Therefore, in the information processing device 4 , there is no need for the operator to input the status of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 . Furthermore, since the state in which the vehicle 2 is actually connected to the AGV 1 can be obtained, the traveling of the AGV 1 and the vehicle 2 can be controlled more accurately.

Next, the arithmetic processing unit 14 functions as a form determining unit in the present invention, and determines the more specific forms of the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 a and 2 b (step S5 ). That is, the arithmetic processing unit 14 refers to the above-mentioned form table for the acquired form, and determines more specific numerical values such as the size or weight of the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 a and 2 b. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , each information of length L, width W, and weight is judged for AGV1. Similarly, as shown in Figure 4, for the first pallet 2a, the length La, width Wa and weight are judged. As shown in Figure 5, for the second pallet 2b, the length Lb is judged. , width Wb, and weight to make judgments. In addition, some of these specific modes can also be determined by image processing or the like based on the image data acquired by the camera 3 . In this way, by judging a more specific form based on the acquired form, the traveling of the AGV 1 can be more accurately controlled. In addition, for example, this judgment does not necessarily need to be performed in situations where it is not necessary to obtain more specific numerical values, such as the number of trucks 2 towed by the AGV 1 or whether the cargo B is exposed.

Next, an operation plan of AGV1 is created based on the obtained form and the determined specific form, or the created operation plan is modified (step S6). The operation plan includes, in addition to the above-mentioned route data and the like, information such as the traveling speed when going straight or when turning (that is, when changing the direction of travel). The operation plan is created when the state of AGV1 and each trolley 2a, 2b is obtained or judged at the starting point of the driving route R, and the operation plan is corrected when AGV1 is obtained or judged at the passing point V of the driving route R. And the form of each trolley 2a, 2b is implemented.

7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating travel control of the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 a and 2 b based on the operation plan. For example, in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the traveling route R shown by the one-dot chain line is a form in which the vehicle 2 towed by the AGV 1 is one (for example, the first vehicle 2 a ) (hereinafter referred to as (standard form). In this case, the form in which this judgment is performed is the form in which the two trolleys 2a and 2b are towed, and it is the second trolley 2b among these trolleys 2a and 2b. The shape is longer in the front and rear than the shape of the first carriage 2a. Therefore, the total weight or the overall balance of the trolleys 2a and 2b towed by AGV1 is different from the base form. Therefore, in the operation plan, when the same traveling speed and traveling route are set as in the reference form, as shown in FIG. 7 , the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 a and 2 b may swing left and right with respect to the traveling direction, causing the The ride becomes unstable. In particular, when the traveling direction is changed at a corner or a turn, the AGV 1 or the trolleys 2 a and 2 b may shake and come into contact with an article or structure arranged on the traveling route. In addition, the reference form is not limited to the illustrated form and can be set arbitrarily.

Therefore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 creates an operation plan in such a manner that the traveling speed of the AGV 1 is changed based on the form determined at the starting point of the traveling route R, especially when the AGV 1 changes the traveling direction at a corner or a turn. The traveling speed is lower than the traveling speed in the reference form (that is, the reference value), or, as shown in FIG. 8 , the radius of the virtual curve of the corner or curve, that is, the traveling path R is increased. In the example of FIG. 8 , a traveling path is set as a traveling path represented by R' having a larger radius of the virtual curve than the traveling path R in the reference form. Furthermore, for example, in the case of an unstable form in which traveling such as shaking is less likely to occur than in the standard form, such as the size of the trolley 2 being smaller than the size of the trolley 2 corresponding to the standard form, it is possible to create a An operation plan is an operation plan in which the traveling speed of the AGV 1 is increased compared to the traveling speed in the base form or the radius of the virtual curve of the traveling path R is reduced.

Similarly, at the passing point V, there is a possibility that the vehicle 2 may be added or disconnected. In this case, the form of the vehicle 2 may change. In the state where the form has been changed in this way, when traveling is resumed without changing the operation plan, there is a possibility that the traveling of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 becomes unstable. In this embodiment, a camera 3 is also arranged in the area corresponding to the passing point V. Based on the image captured by the camera 3, the form of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 is acquired or determined, and based on the form, And amend the above operation plan.

Regarding such an operation plan based on the configuration of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 , for example, a traveling route and a traveling speed corresponding to the current configuration can be selected from a plurality of predefined traveling routes and traveling speed settings. Alternatively, creation or correction may be performed by performing calculations or simulations based on past operation plans and corresponding driving evaluation information, such as information on routes that the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 actually traveled based on the operation plans. As a result, even if the forms of AGV 1 and trolley 2 change, a more effective operation plan can be created and corrected without having to make adjustments every time.

Next, the calculation processing unit 14 feeds back the operation plan created in the above-described manner or the modified operation plan to the AGV 1 (step S7). Then, the control unit 9 of the AGV 1 controls the drive unit 8 based on the operation plan fed back from the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4, and travels along the set travel route while adjusting the speed. That is, the traveling of AGV 1 is controlled based on the forms of AGV 1 and trolley 2 . Such control suppresses unstable traveling when the AGV 1 travels while towing the trucks 2 a and 2 b loaded with cargo and the like. Accordingly, regardless of the number, shape, size, etc. of the trolleys 2 pulled by the AGV 1, the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 can be driven to travel along the predetermined travel path R while suppressing shaking during travel. As a result, the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 a and 2 b are prevented from coming into contact with articles or structures arranged near the travel route. In addition, in this embodiment, the camera 3 is also arranged in the area corresponding to the passing point V, and the forms of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 are obtained based on the image captured by the camera 3, and based on the The driving of the AGV 1 is controlled according to the shape of the AGV 1. Therefore, unstable driving when the shape of the vehicle 2 changes before and after the passing point V is more reliably suppressed.

Second implementation mode:

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the travel control system of the guided vehicle (hereinafter referred to as AGV) 1 according to the present embodiment. In addition, FIG. 10 is a work area (hereinafter also referred to as a travel route) in which the AGV 1 travels with the trolley 2 based on the operation plan, or loads and unloads cargo with respect to the trolley 2 at passing points described below. A top view illustrating an example. In addition, in FIG. 10 , the dashed-dotted line indicates the virtual travel route R of the AGV 1 , that is, the set route scheduled based on the operation instruction from the information processing device 4 . Furthermore, on the traveling path R, the straight portion (in other words, a virtual straight line) corresponds to the first area in the present invention, and the curved portion (in other words, a virtual curve) corresponds to the third area in the present invention. Second area. That is, since the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 travel along the travel path R, they travel along a virtual straight line in the first area and travel along a virtual curve in the second area.

Since the travel control system in this embodiment is the same as that in the above-mentioned embodiment, detailed description is omitted. As will be described later, the information processing device 4 of the present embodiment acquires the movement of the AGV 1 or the trolley 2 based on the image captured by the camera 3, or determines the traveling state based on the movement and performs traveling control on the AGV 1 feedback of. In addition, there may be a case where an information processing device serving as a host is further connected to the information processing device 4 . The wireless communication device 5 is a master station for performing communication under the wireless LAN, and wirelessly connects the information processing device 4, the AGV 1 and the camera 3 to transmit and receive data.

The AGV 1 tows the trolley 2 and travels in the work area in accordance with the map data and route data stored in advance. The map data is data created in the information processing device 4 based on measurement data obtained by the AGV 1 actually traveling on the travel route while scanning the laser sensor 11 as will be described later. In addition, the route data is data created based on the operation plan of the AGV 1 (for example, starting from which point, passing through which way point, and traveling to which point), and is composed of a coordinate group representing the route on the map data. The AGV 1 in this embodiment has a main body frame 6 , a pair of left and right driving wheels 7 , and a pair of driving parts 8 composed of motors that individually drive the driving wheels 7 . Each of the driving parts 8 is provided on the main body so as to be able to turn freely. Casters 10 at the four corners of the lower surface of the frame 6 , a laser sensor 11 for detecting obstacles on the traveling route, a control unit 9 for controlling the laser sensor 11 or the drive unit 8 , and a device for connecting to the trolley 2 The connecting part 12. Although not shown in the figure, the AGV 1 in this embodiment includes a storage unit that stores map data, route data, etc., a communication unit that performs wireless communication with the wireless communication device 5 , a power supply unit, and the like.

The trolley 2 towed by the AGV 1 has a cargo bed 18 , wheels 19 respectively provided at the four corners of the bottom surface of the cargo bed 18 , and connection parts 20 for connecting to the AGV 1 or other trucks 2 . In this embodiment, multiple, specifically two, trucks 2c and 2d are connected to the AGV1. The number of trolleys 2 connected to the AGV 1 is not limited to the two illustrated, and one, three or more may be connected. The cargo bed 18 of the trolley 2 may be, for example, a device formed by combining frame materials such as boxes or pipes, a device having a portion that serves as an enclosure for the loaded cargo, or a flat plate-shaped platform on which the cargo is simply placed. devices and other various forms of devices. In this embodiment, a flat platform 18 is used. Moreover, the front wheel among the wheels 19 of the cargo bed 18 is equipped with the caster 19a which can turn freely so that the traveling direction may be changed according to the traveling of the AGV1. On the other hand, the rear wheel 19b is fixed in the direction that becomes the straight forward direction (in other words, the direction in which the front wheels and the rear wheels are arranged).

The laser sensor 11 included in the AGV 1 is disposed in front of the AGV 1 and measures the distance to the obstacle by irradiating laser light and receiving reflected light reflected from the obstacle. The laser sensor 11 in this embodiment can scan the laser beam left and right with respect to the traveling direction. Furthermore, the AGV 1 travels on the traveling route while recognizing obstacles while scanning the laser sensor 11 , and outputs the measurement data obtained thereby to the information processing device 4 via the wireless communication device 5 , thereby enabling the AGV 1 to perform the operation based on This measurement data is used to create map data of driving routes. The control unit 9 of the AGV 1 has a CPU, a storage unit, etc. not shown in the figure. The control unit 9 stores the measurement data obtained by the laser sensor 11 , the map data created by the information processing device 4 based on the measurement data, and the travel scheduled on the transportation route of the map data in the storage unit. Path data related to path R, etc. The control unit 9 is configured to travel on the traveling route by passing through the passing points (for example, points where cargo is loaded and unloaded) instructed by the information processing device 4 based on the route data and the map data.

Figure 11 is a top view of AGV1. As shown in this figure, an AGV characteristic portion 22 (a type of second characteristic portion in the present invention) indicating the position or direction on the traveling route is added to the upper surface of AGV 1 . The AGV characteristic part 22 in this embodiment is composed of a combination of a direction mark 23 formed by an arrow mark indicating the direction of the AGV 1 and a center mark 24 formed by a circle or a point indicating the center of the AGV 1 . The direction mark 23 is formed by an asymmetrical figure or mark in the front-rear direction of the AGV1. Furthermore, as will be described later, the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4 is configured to obtain the position of the AGV 1 on the map data by identifying the AGV feature portion 22 based on the image data captured by the camera 3 (In other words, the coordinates) and the direction, that is, the movement of AGV1. In addition, it may be configured so that the center of the AGV characteristic part 22 is recognized based on the direction mark 23 . That is, for example, a structure may be adopted in which the top and rear ends of the arrow marks as the direction mark 23 are recognized and the center of the AGV feature portion 22 is obtained (that is, estimated) through calculation.

Figure 12 is a top view of the first carriage 2c, and Figure 13 is a top view of the second carriage 2d. Like the AGV 1 , each of the trolleys 2 c and 2 d is also provided with a trolley feature portion 25 (a type of first feature portion in the present invention) indicating the respective position or orientation. The trolley feature portions 25 in this embodiment are respectively attached to positions of the cargo bed 18 that are offset forward and backward from the area where the cargo B is loaded, that is, at positions that are not covered by the cargo B when the cargo B is loaded. In this embodiment, a triangular-shaped front mark 26 is displayed on the front side of the cargo bed 18, and a circular-shaped rear mark 27 is displayed on the rear side of the cargo bed 18. These serve as the front mark 26 and the rear mark. The combination of the marks 26 and 27 of 27 constitutes the trolley characteristic part 25. As in the case of AGV 1 , the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4 recognizes the vehicle feature portions 25 of the respective vehicles 2 c and 2 d from the image data captured by the camera 3 , thereby being able to grasp the movements of the respective vehicles. . In this case, the information processing device 4 can grasp the direction of the trolley 2 by separately recognizing the front mark 26 and the rear mark 27 whose shapes or arrangement patterns are different from each other. Furthermore, the information processing device 4 estimates the center position of the trolley 2 based on the position of the front marker 26 and the position of the rear marker 27 .

Furthermore, in this embodiment, by changing the number of rear markers 27 for each vehicle 2, the information processing device 4 can identify each vehicle 2 individually. That is, as shown in FIG. 12 , one rear mark 27 is attached to the first trolley 2 c, while two rear marks 27 arranged on the left and right are attached to the second trolley 2 d. Thereby, the information processing device 4 can identify each of the trucks 2 by recognizing the rear markers 27 that are different from each other. In short, by making the shape, number, arrangement pattern, etc. of the cart characteristic portions 25 different and assigning them to the carts 2 respectively, the information processing device 4 can identify the respective carts 2 . In addition, when the cargo bed 18 of the trolley 2 adopts a box-type structure that accommodates cargo inside, and the cargo is covered by the upper surface of the cargo bed 18 when viewed from above (in other words, from the camera 3 side) Next, similarly to the AGV feature portion 22 described above, a trolley feature portion 25 formed by a combination of a direction mark and a center mark can also be provided on the upper surface of the cargo platform 18 .

The camera 3 is equipped with a lens, a CCD, a wireless communication unit, etc., not shown, and outputs image data obtained by photographing the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 on the traveling route to the information processing device 4 via wireless communication device 5 Department 16. As shown in FIG. 10 , on the traveling route of AGV 1 , there are areas where AGV 1 and trolley 2 travel along the virtual curve of the traveling route R in order to change the traveling route, and AGV 1 temporarily stops and carries goods to the trolley 2 . Cameras 3 are respectively installed at positions corresponding to the passing points V (corresponding to the third area in the present invention) for loading and unloading. Each camera 3 is calibrated on the basis that its position on the map data and its height from the driving route R, that is, its three-dimensional coordinates, are fixed in advance, and is adjusted in such a way that the information processing device 4 can obtain the image from the corresponding position through image processing. The AGV characteristic part 22 of the AGV1 and the vehicle characteristic part 25 of the vehicle 2 are recognized in the image captured by the AGV1 or the vehicle 2 on the traveling route.

The information processing device 4 in this embodiment includes a calculation processing unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a wireless communication unit 16. The storage unit 15 is composed of, for example, a hard disk drive. In addition to the operating system and various application programs including image processing applications, the storage unit 15 also stores the above-mentioned map data, route data, data from the camera, etc. 3 captured image data, etc. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., not shown, and performs various processes such as image processing based on an operating system stored in the storage unit 15 . In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 14 functions as a motion acquisition unit in the present invention, and acquires the motion of the AGV 1 , that is, the position on the traveling route, by identifying the AGV feature portion 22 from the image data captured by the camera 3 (in other words, coordinates on map data) or orientation. More specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 14 identifies the AGV feature portion 22 through comparison with a reference image (also referred to as a template as appropriate) of the AGV feature portion 22 prepared in advance, that is, template matching. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 recognizes the direction of the arrow mark as the direction indicator 23 to obtain the direction of the AGV 1 . In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 14 recognizes the circle that is the center mark 24 of the AGV feature unit 22, thereby acquiring the coordinates of the AGV 1 on the map data. Similarly, the arithmetic processing unit 14 identifies the vehicle feature portion 25 from the image data by matching it with a template of the reference image of the vehicle feature portion 25 prepared in advance, and determines the positional relationship between the front marker 26 and the rear marker 27 The recognition is performed to obtain the traveling direction of the vehicle 2, and the coordinates of the center of the vehicle 2 on the map data are obtained through calculation. In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 14 recognizes the number of rear markers 27 of each trolley 2 to identify each trolley 2 . Therefore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 can grasp the number of trolleys 2 connected to the AGV 1 and towed, and the like.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of the traveling control of the AGV 1 (that is, the traveling control method) performed by the information processing device 4 . When an operation instruction is sent from the information processing device 4 to the AGV1, accordingly, the AGV1 pulls the trolley 2 and is set based on the map data and route data as shown in Fig. 10 Drive along the driving path R within the driving route. When the AGV1 and the trolley 2 arrive at the second area where the AGV1 and the trolley 2 travel along the virtual curve of the traveling path R, or the third area corresponding to the passing point V where the AGV1 temporarily stops, the camera 3 will monitor the AGV1 and the trolley 2c, 2d for shooting. Then, the information processing device 4 acquires the image data including the AGV1 and the trolleys 2c and 2d captured by the camera 3 (step S11). Next, the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4 performs the above-described template matching on the acquired image data (step S12). Then, the result of template matching is to determine whether the AGV feature portion 22 and the trolley feature portion 25 can be respectively detected from the image data (step S13). If it is determined that each of the feature portions 22 and 25 has not been detected (NO), the process returns to step S11 and the camera 3 acquires image data again and performs template matching.

Furthermore, when it is determined in step S13 that the characteristic parts 22 and 25 have been detected (YES), based on the detected characteristic parts 22 and 25, the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2c and 2d are respectively obtained. status (step S14). That is, the arithmetic processing unit 14 functions as a motion acquisition unit and acquires the motion of the AGV 1 , that is, the orientation (in other words, the direction of travel during travel) and the position within the travel route based on the AGV characteristic unit 22 . Similarly, Based on the trolley characteristic part 25, the directions and positions of the trolleys 2c and 2d are respectively obtained. In this way, by identifying each of the characteristic portions 22 and 25 included in the image captured by the camera 3, the movements of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 can be obtained more accurately. Furthermore, since the movements of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 when they are actually traveling on the traveling route can be obtained, the traveling of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 can be controlled more accurately. Next, the arithmetic processing unit 14 converts the acquired positions of the AGV 1 and each of the trolleys 2 c and 2 d into three-dimensional coordinates (step S15 ). That is, based on the relationship between the pixel coordinates of the positions (centers) of AGV1 and each of the trolleys 2c and 2d in the image data and the three-dimensional coordinates on the captured map data of the camera 3, the AGV1 and each trolley are The positions of 2c and 2d are converted into three-dimensional coordinates obtained by adding the height (Z) from the driving route R to the coordinates (X, Y) on the map data. In addition, the height is not essential, and a structure converted into two-dimensional coordinates (X, Y) can also be adopted.

Next, the arithmetic processing unit 14 stores (or updates) the converted three-dimensional coordinates as comparison path data used for comparison with previously stored path data (step S16). Then, it is determined whether the creation of the path data for comparison from the entry to the passage of the AGV 1 and each of the trolleys 2 c and 2 d within the imaging range of the camera 3 has been completed (step S17 ). If it is determined that it has not yet been completed, (No), return to step S11, and perform subsequent processing to sequentially obtain three-dimensional coordinates from the image data, thereby updating the comparison path data composed of the three-dimensional coordinate group. Furthermore, if it is determined in step S17 that the creation of the comparison path data from the entry to the passage of the AGV 1 and each of the trucks 2 c and 2 d in the area is completed (YES), next, the arithmetic processing unit 14 The route data stored in advance is compared with the comparison route data, and feedback related to the travel control of the AGV 1 is executed based on the comparison result (step S18). More specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 14 functions as a traveling state determination unit in the present invention, and determines the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 c and 2 d based on the traveling direction and position of the AGV 1 and the traveling directions and positions of the trolleys 2 c and 2 d, respectively. 2D driving status is judged.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are diagrams illustrating the determination of the traveling states of the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d. In addition, FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the setting of the traveling area 30 for determining the traveling state. Regarding the determination of the traveling status of the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d , the arithmetic processing unit 14 determines whether the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d are traveling on a predetermined path based on the travel route R (in other words, the set route). The judgment is made inside the wide traveling area 30 . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17 , at positions separated to both sides by a predetermined interval (that is, a threshold value) across the traveling path R, virtual virtual objects are respectively set along the traveling path R. The boundary lines Bd1 and Bd2 are set as the traveling area 30 between the virtual boundary lines Bd1 and Bd2.

Variations:

18 and 19 are diagrams illustrating modifications related to the setting of the traveling area 30 for determining the traveling state. The setting of the traveling area 30 is not limited to the case illustrated in FIG. 17 . For example, as in the example shown in FIG. 18 , the operator can arbitrarily set the virtual dividing lines Bd1 and Bd2 in the image processing application using an input device such as a mouse. In the example of FIG. 18 , a sidewalk P for people to pass is provided on the outside sandwiching the roadside zone Rs of the traveling route of AGV1 and trolleys 2c and 2d, and the AGV1 and trolleys 2c and 2d Virtual dividing lines Bd1 and Bd2 are set between the roadside zone Rs and the driving route R so as not to protrude onto the sidewalk P. In addition, as shown in FIG. 19 , the route Rp when the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 actually traveled in the past can also be stored in advance as past route data, and based on the past route data, the path Rp can be located slightly outside the frequently passed route Rp. Virtual dividing lines Bd1 and Bd2 are set at , and the range including these routes Rp is set as the traveling area 30 .

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15 , when the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d are both located in the travel area 30 , the arithmetic processing unit 14 determines that the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d are along the predetermined travel route R. While driving normally. In this normal traveling state, feedback related to the traveling control of AGV 1 is not implemented. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16 , when at least one of the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d is located outside the travel area 30 , the arithmetic processing unit 14 determines that the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c, 2 d are located outside the travel area 30 . Any one of 2d is in an abnormal driving state that deviates from the driving path R. In this manner, by determining whether at least the vehicle 2 is located inside the travel area 30 , it can be determined whether the vehicle 2 is traveling normally along the travel path R.

As in the example of FIG. 16 , in the second area where the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d travel along the virtual curve, any one of them is exposed to the outside of the virtual dividing line Bd2 on the outside of the virtual curve. , the arithmetic processing unit 14 feeds back an instruction to reduce the traveling speed to the AGV 1 . On the contrary, when any one of the AGV1 and the trolleys 2c and 2d is exposed to the outside of the virtual dividing line Bd1 on the inside of the virtual curve, the arithmetic processing unit 14 gives feedback to the AGV1 to accelerate the traveling speed. instructions. Furthermore, the control unit 9 of the AGV 1 controls the drive unit 8 based on the feedback from the arithmetic processing unit 14 of the information processing device 4 to perform speed adjustment (ie, deceleration or acceleration). Thereby, traveling is controlled so that any one of AGV1 and the trolleys 2c and 2d is located in the traveling area 30 (that is, the traveling state is corrected). In this way, in the travel control system and the control method of the AGV 1 according to the present invention, unstable travel is suppressed when the AGV 1 travels while towing the trucks 2 c and 2 d loaded with cargo and the like. That is, regardless of the number of trolleys 2 towed by the AGV 1 or the amount or weight of goods loaded on the trolley 2, the shaking of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 during travel is suppressed, and the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 can be driven along a predetermined path. travel along the driving route R. In particular, since the camera 3 is disposed in the second area where shaking is likely to occur when the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 travel, the movements of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 are acquired based on the images captured by the camera 3, and based on This operation controls the traveling of AGV 1 , so unstable traveling in the second area can be suppressed more reliably. In addition, since there is a possibility that the total weight of the trolley 2 will change due to the loading and unloading of goods to the trolley 2 at the passing point, when the travel is restarted, it is easy to occur during the travel of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 shake. In this embodiment, since the camera 3 is also arranged in the third area corresponding to the passing point, the movements of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 are obtained based on the images captured by the camera 3, and based on the movements To control the traveling of the AGV 1, unstable traveling when the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 start traveling again after they stop traveling is more reliably suppressed.

20 to 22 are diagrams illustrating modifications of feedback related to travel control of AGV 1 . The example in FIG. 20 is an example in which the first zone Z1 and the second zone Z2 are respectively set inside and outside the virtual boundaries Bd1 and Bd2, and controls corresponding to the respective zones Z1 and Z2 are performed. For example, when at least one of the AGV1 and the trolleys 2c and 2d is located in the first zone Z1, an instruction to slow down the traveling speed is fed back to the AGV1. In addition, when at least one of the AGV1 and the trolleys 2c and 2d is located in the second zone Z2, an instruction to stop traveling is fed back to the AGV1. In this case, the arithmetic processing unit 14 may perform processing to report that the AGV 1 has stopped abnormally.

In the example of FIG. 21 , based on the relationship between the paths of AGV1 and the vehicle 2 calculated from the above-mentioned comparison path data and the virtual dividing lines Bd1 and Bd2 , it is possible for the AGV1 and the vehicle 2 to deviate from the travel area 30 When traveling along the route, the arithmetic processing unit 14 feeds back an instruction to AGV 1 to change the traveling direction to the opposite side (in other words, the traveling route R side). Accordingly, when, for example, the point shown by And the control of the rotation of the left driving part 8 is increased. As a result, the traveling direction of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 is changed toward the traveling path R. In this manner, the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 are controlled to travel within the travel area 30 .

In the example of FIG. 22 , when the AGV 1 or the trolley 2 deviates to the outside of the travel area 30 , the traveling speed of the AGV 1 at the time of deviation or the deviation direction (that is, from the virtual boundary lines Bd1 and Bd2 Deviation information such as which boundary line is deviated) is output from the information processing device 4 to the AGV 1, and the control unit 9 of the AGV 1 implements predetermined control (for example, control of driving stop, direction change, etc.) based on the deviation information. .

As in the above modified example, by implementing feedback related to the traveling control of AGV 1 , the AGV 1 and the trucks 2 c and 2 d are prevented from traveling outside the travel area 30 . In addition, even if the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 c and 2 d deviate from the travel area 30 , the traveling can be stopped or an operator or the like can take measures (for example, reloading the goods loaded on the trolley 2 ). wait. Furthermore, the AGV 1 and the trolleys 2 c and 2 d are prevented from coming into contact with articles or structures arranged in the vicinity of the traveling route.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an image obtained by photographing the trolley 2 from the side.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the structure of acquiring or determining the form based on images of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 captured from above in a direction orthogonal to the ground of the traveling route is exemplified, but the configuration is not limited to this and may also be used. A structure is adopted in which the form is acquired or determined based on images taken of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 from the side in addition to images taken from above. In the modification of FIG. 23 , the interior of the cargo bed 18 formed by combining frame materials such as pipes is divided up and down by the shelf 29 into a plurality of cargo storage portions 28 , specifically three cargo storage portions. 28a, 28b, 28c. In addition, the number of cargo storage units 28 is not limited to the illustrated three. In such a structure, the position of the center of gravity of the trolley 2 differs depending on which cargo storage part 28 the cargo B is stored in. Therefore, the arithmetic processing unit 14 acquires, as one of the modes, in which cargo storage portion 28 of the trolley 2 the cargo B is stored or loaded based on the image captured from the side. In this case, the template has the shape of the side of the cargo bed 18 (for example, the shape shown with hatching in FIG. 23 ), and the arithmetic processing unit 14 recognizes and obtains the position of the cargo B based on the template. .

In the example of FIG. 23 , the cargo B is stored in the uppermost cargo storage portion 28 a among the plurality of cargo storage portions 28 , but the cargo B is not stored in the other cargo storage portions 28 b and 28 c. Therefore, as one of the modes, compared with the state in which the cargo B is not stored in any of the cargo storage parts 28 or the state in which the cargo B is stored in the other cargo storage parts 28b and 28c, the entire trolley 2 is obtained. The position of the center of gravity in the height direction becomes higher and the balance decreases. In this case, the arithmetic processing unit 14 decreases the traveling speed of the AGV 1 based on this form, especially the traveling speed when the AGV 1 changes the traveling direction at corners or turns, compared with the reference, or increases the speed at corners or turns. The operation plan is created or corrected in such a way that the radius of the virtual curve of the driving path R is larger. Thereby, like the example of FIG. 23 , even when the center of gravity of the entire vehicle 2 is high, the traveling of the AGV 1 and the vehicle 2 is suppressed from becoming unstable. In addition, when a state in which the center of gravity of the entire trolley 2 is high and the balance is lowered is obtained as one of the modes, the arithmetic processing unit 14 may display the situation on the information processing device 4 The operator is notified in a superior form such as a connected display device. This makes it possible to implement measures such as changing the arrangement position of the goods B on the pallet 18 . In this case, it is preferable to obtain or determine the form based on an image obtained by photographing the processed cart 2 .

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the trolley feature portion 25 . The AGV characteristic portion 22 and the trolley characteristic portion 25 are not limited to the characteristic portions illustrated in the above embodiment, and various forms of characteristic portions can be adopted.

The trolley feature portion 25 of this modification is composed of a frame-shaped first trolley feature having a predetermined width along the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate-shaped cargo bed 18 , similar to the trolley feature portion 25 in the first embodiment. part 25a, and a second trolley feature part 25b. The second trolley feature part 25b is composed of a plurality of parts spaced apart in the area inside the first trolley feature part 25a and arranged in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Made up of circular markers. The first pallet feature portion 25 a is a feature portion used for identifying the shape of the pallet 2 or identifying whether the cargo B is exposed from the cargo bed 18 , like the pallet feature portion 25 in the first embodiment. . On the other hand, the second pallet characteristic part 25b is a characteristic part used for identifying the arrangement position of the cargo B in the cargo bed 18.

In the modified example of FIG. 24 , the arithmetic processing unit 14 identifies which position of the second cart feature portion 25 b among the plurality of second cart feature portions 25 b is the second cart feature portion 25 b , that is, which position of the second cart feature portion 25 b is the second cart feature portion 25 b . The second trolley characteristic part 25b at the position is covered by the cargo B for identification. In this way, as one of the modes, the arrangement of the cargo B on the loading surface of the cargo bed 18 can be obtained. Furthermore, when the cargo B is arranged at an eccentric position on the loading surface of the cargo bed 18, the center of gravity of the trolley 2 changes from the state where the cargo B is not loaded, so the arithmetic processing unit 14 reflects this in the operation plan. . For example, when the cargo B is arranged to the right with respect to the direction of travel on the cargo bed 18, the center of gravity of the trolley 2 is shifted to the right, so when turning left, the traveling speed of the AGV 1 is reduced compared to the reference value. , or increase the radius of the virtual curve on the driving path R. Accordingly, even when the center of gravity of the vehicle 2 deviates, the traveling of the AGV 1 and the vehicle 2 is suppressed from becoming unstable. On the other hand, the traveling speed of the AGV 1 when turning right or the radius of the virtual curve on the traveling path R may be set as it is with the reference value, or the traveling speed may be increased compared with the reference value, or the radius of the virtual curve on the traveling path R may be set as it is. The operation plan is created or modified by reducing the radius of the virtual curve on the driving path R. As a result, the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 can travel on the traveling route R more quickly, and therefore the running time can be shortened. In addition, the number, shape, and arrangement layout of the second cart feature portions 25b are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 24 . If the second trolley feature portions 25b are more numerous and densely distributed, the arrangement position of the cargo B can be more accurately identified.

FIG. 25 is a diagram explaining a modified example of the AGV characteristic part 22. In addition, in FIG. 25 , only the AGV 1 is representatively shown, but the structure described below can be similarly applied to the trolley 2 . In this modification, the LED mark 32 composed of a light emitting diode is used as the AGV feature portion 22 . For example, a first LED mark 32a is provided at the front side of AGV1, and a second LED mark 32b is provided at a position corresponding to the center of AGV1. Moreover, these LED marks 32a and 32b are different from each other in the form of light emission, that is, for example, the color of light emission, the form of lighting, blinking, the size of the light source, and the like. The difference in the light emission pattern only needs to be a difference that the arithmetic processing unit 14 can recognize from the captured image captured by the camera 3 during image processing. In addition, it is not limited to an object that emits light. For example, a reflective plate that reflects light can also be used.

The number or arrangement layout of the LED markers 32 is not limited to the illustrated content. Similar to the above-mentioned front markers 26 and rear markers 27 , they may be arranged at the following positions, that is, in the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 , A position that is offset forward or backward from an area where cargo, etc. is placed. In the example of FIG. 26 , the AGV 1 is connected to the vehicle 2 in a state of being inserted under the vehicle 2 , and the AGV 1 travels in this state. Even in this case, the LED marks 32 a and 32 b as the characteristic parts are not covered by the trolley 2 , so that the AGV characteristic part 22 and the trolley characteristic part cannot be detected from the captured image captured by the camera 3 . 25 adverse phenomena. In addition, for example, it is also possible to mark only the positions on the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 that are deviated from the area where goods etc. are arranged forward, and to detect the respective edge shapes of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 backward through template matching or the like. The feature quantity is used to estimate the center positions of AGV1 and trolley 2.

FIG. 27 is a diagram explaining another modification of the AGV characteristic part 22. The AGV feature portion 22 of this modification is composed of a frame-shaped first AGV feature portion 22a having a predetermined width along the outer peripheral edge of the AGV 1, and a circular The second AGV characteristic part 22b is composed of rectangular-shaped marks. The first AGV characteristic part 22a is used for identifying the shape or center position of the AGV 1 like the trolley characteristic part 25 in the first embodiment, and is also used for the connection state with the trolley 2 is being identified. In addition, the second AGV characteristic part 22 b is a characteristic part composed of a mark arranged in front of the AGV 1 and used for identifying the orientation or posture of the AGV 1 . Various shapes can be adopted as the mark as the second AGV characteristic portion 22b, and the above-mentioned LED mark, a reflective plate that reflects light, etc. can also be used.

In the modified example of FIG. 27 , the arithmetic processing unit 14 can perform template matching on the image data and determine whether the first AGV feature portion 22 a is recognized as a whole or partially missing, thereby matching the first AGV feature portion 22 a with a partial defect. The connection state of the trolley 2 is acquired as one of the modes, that is, the connection mode. In the example of FIG. 27 , the AGV 1 is inserted under the vehicle 2 and is connected to the vehicle 2 , and the AGV 1 travels in this state. In this case, it is recognized that part of the first AGV characteristic part 22a is missing, and thus the arithmetic processing unit 14 can obtain the AGV 1 in a state of being inserted under the vehicle 2 and connected to the vehicle 2. The connection state can be reflected in the driving control of AGV1. For example, in this connection form, compared with the connection form in which the vehicle 2 is connected to the connection part 12 of the AGV 1, the running stability is improved, so the arithmetic processing unit 14 adjusts the running speed of the AGV 1 to the standard form (i.e., The operation plan is created or corrected such that the traveling speed is increased compared to the case where the vehicle 2 is connected to the connecting portion 12 of the AGV 1 or the radius of the virtual curve on the traveling path R is reduced. As a result, the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 can travel on the travel route R faster, and therefore the running time can be shortened.

28 to 31 are diagrams illustrating the identification of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 . In addition, although only the AGV 1 is shown in FIGS. 28 to 30 , the structure described below can be similarly applied to the trolley 2 . In addition, in each figure, illustration of the AGV characteristic part 22 is omitted.

The AGV 1 or the trolley 2 can be individually identified, for example, by changing the shape, number, arrangement pattern, etc. of the AGV characteristic portion 22 and the trolley characteristic portion 25 for each AGV 1 and the trolley 2 . In addition, as shown in FIG. 28 , it is also possible to adopt a method in which a different character string or symbol can be marked for each AGV 1 or trolley 2 , and the AGV 1 or the AGV 1 or the trolley 2 can be individually marked based on the character string or the like. Trolley 2 performs identification. In addition, for example, as shown in FIG. 29 , an identification code 33 for individual identification may be marked on each AGV 1 or trolley 2 , and the arithmetic processing unit 14 may include the identification code 33 . The identification code 33 is read from the image including the identification code 33 to identify the AGV 1 or the trolley 2 individually. The illustrated identification code 33 is composed of a two-dimensional code (for example, a so-called QR code (registered trademark)). In addition, as the identification code 33, a barcode or a separate identification code can also be used.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 30 and 31 , wireless tags 34 (for example, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags or beacons, etc.) storing respective identification information are provided to the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 . Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which wireless communication using an electromagnetic induction method, a radio wave method, or the like is performed between the wireless tag 34 and the reader 35 (in other words, a detector or a receiver). The structure to obtain the identification information of AGV1 or trolley 2. In this case, as shown in FIG. 31 , a reader 35 is installed at the installation position of each camera 3 , and the identification information read by the reader 35 is transmitted to the information processing device 4 . The AGV 1 or the trolley 2 is individually identified in the information processing device 4 .

Third implementation mode:

Fig. 32 is a structural diagram of the travel control system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of captured images captured by a plurality of cameras 3 in FIG. 32 .

In the above-described first embodiment, the area corresponding to the starting point of the traveling route R and the passing point V where the AGV 1 temporarily stops and loads and unloads cargo to the trolley 2 are exemplified on the traveling route of the AGV 1 . A structure in which one camera 3 is installed in each corresponding area is illustrated. In the second embodiment described above, on the traveling route of the AGV 1 , an area in which the AGV 1 changes its traveling direction along the virtual curve of the traveling path R is exemplified, and an area corresponding to The AGV 1 temporarily stops and carries out the loading and unloading of goods to the trolley 2, etc., with a structure in which one camera 3 is installed in each area corresponding to the passing point V. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 32 , a plurality of cameras 3 are provided in each area. Specifically, two cameras, a first camera 3 a and a second camera 3 b , are provided. In addition, the number of cameras 3 is not limited to two, and it is also possible to adopt a structure in which three or more cameras 3 are arranged. Furthermore, by combining images captured by a plurality of cameras 3, it is possible to achieve more accurate results in a wider area based on captured images with a wider field of view (ie, angle of view) as shown in FIG. 33 Get the status of AGV1 and trolley 2. In addition, since the traveling control of the AGV 1 can be implemented in a wider area, unstable traveling of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 is more reliably suppressed.

In addition, when multiple cameras 3 are used, the AGV feature portion 22 and the trolley feature portion 25 can be respectively detected at three-dimensional positions including the height from the travel path R through the principle of triangulation. . Therefore, even when the height of the AGV 1 and the height of the trolley 2 are extremely different as shown in FIG. 32 , the positions of both of them can be obtained more accurately. In addition, other structures are the same as the above-mentioned embodiment.

Variations:

In the above, the configuration is exemplified in which the form or movement of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 is acquired based on the image captured by the camera 3 , and the traveling state is determined based on the form or movement to control the traveling of the AGV 1 . Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to this. It is not necessarily necessary to acquire the AGV 1 , and it is also possible to adopt a mode in which at least the vehicle 2 is acquired or determined (for example, when multiple vehicles 2 are towed, the AGV 1 can be form) to create or modify the operation plan to control the driving structure of AGV1.

In addition, the structure is not limited to the structure in which the movements of the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 are acquired based on the image captured by the camera 3. For example, it is also possible to provide the trolley 2 with a horizontal axis (in other words, the X axis), Acceleration sensors that detect acceleration in each direction such as the front-rear direction (in other words, the Y-axis) and the height direction (in other words, the Z-axis), and obtain the vehicle based on the detection results of the acceleration sensor 2. The structure of the action.

In addition, the present invention can also be applied to a structure in which a sensitive mark (eg, tape, etc.) is affixed on the ground along the travel path R, and the AGV 1 and the trolley 2 travel along the mark.

Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a structure in which the trolley 2 is equipped with a robot arm, for example. In this case, the center of gravity of the entire trolley 2 is different between the state in which the robot arm has grasped the goods or parts, and the state in which the robot arm has not grasped the goods, parts, etc., and the center of gravity of the entire trolley 2 is different depending on the direction of the robot arm (i.e., the direction of the goods, parts, etc.) The position of the gripping part) and the overall center of gravity of the trolley 2 are also different. Even in such a structure, by acquiring or judging the state such as the orientation of the robot arm based on the captured image including the vehicle 2 as one of the forms of the vehicle 2, and reflecting it in the control of the AGV 1, it is possible to suppress The situation where the driving of AGV1 and trolley 2 becomes unstable is detected.

Symbol Description

1... AGV; 2... trolley; 3... camera; 4... information processing device; 5... wireless communication device; 6... main frame; 7... driving wheel; 8... driving part; 9... control part; 10 ...Casters; 11...Laser sensor; 12...Connection part; 14...Arithmetic processing part; 15...Storage part; 16...Wireless communication part; 18...Cargo platform; 19...Casters; 20...Connection part; 22...AGV characteristics 23...direction mark; 24...center mark; 25...car feature part; 28...cargo storage part; 29...shelf; 32...LED mark; 33...identification code; 34...wireless mark; 35...reader .

Claims (9)

1. A travel control system for a carrier vehicle for autonomous travel with the carrier vehicle, characterized in that,

the traveling of the carrier is controlled according to the form of the carrier traveling in the working area and the form of the trolley,

the travel control system for a transport vehicle is provided with:

a photographing unit that is disposed so as to correspond to a work area of the carrier and photographs the carrier and the carriage;

a form acquiring unit that acquires a form of the carrier and a form of the carriage based on the image including the carrier and the carriage captured by the capturing unit,

the trolley is provided with a first characteristic part for representing the position or the orientation of the trolley,

a second feature for indicating a position or orientation on a travel route is provided on an upper surface of the truck,

the form acquiring unit acquires the form of the carriage and the connection form of the carriage to the carriage based on the image including the first feature and the second feature captured by the capturing unit,

The traveling of the carrier is controlled based on the carrier shape, the carriage shape, and the connection shape acquired by the shape acquisition unit.

2. The travel control system of a carrier according to claim 1, wherein,

comprises a form judging unit for judging the form of the trolley based on the form of the trolley acquired by the form acquiring unit,

the travel of the carrier is controlled based on the judgment of the form judgment unit.

3. The travel control system for a truck according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that,

the working area has a passing point through which the trolley passes,

the photographing section is configured in a manner corresponding to the route point.

4. A travel control system for a carrier vehicle for autonomous travel with the carrier vehicle, characterized in that,

the travel of the carrier is controlled according to the movement of the carrier and the movement of the trolley which travel in the working area,

the travel control system for a transport vehicle is provided with:

a photographing unit that is disposed so as to correspond to a work area of the carrier and photographs the carrier and the carriage;

An operation acquisition unit that acquires an operation of the carrier and an operation of the carriage based on the image including the carrier and the carriage captured by the imaging unit,

the trolley is provided with a first characteristic part for representing the position or the orientation of the trolley,

a second feature for indicating a position or orientation on a travel route is provided on an upper surface of the truck,

the motion acquisition unit acquires the motion of the truck and the motion of the carriage based on the image including the first feature and the second feature captured by the imaging unit,

the travel of the carrier is controlled based on the movement of the carrier and the movement of the carriage acquired by the movement acquisition unit.

5. The travel control system of a carrier according to claim 4, wherein,

the traveling state determination unit determines the traveling state of the carriage based on the operation of the carriage acquired by the operation acquisition unit,

the travel of the carrier is controlled based on the judgment of the travel state judgment unit.

6. The travel control system of a carrier according to claim 5, wherein,

the travel state determination unit determines whether or not the carriage is located inside a travel area having a predetermined width with respect to a travel path of the carriage that is preset in the work area.

7. The travel control system for a truck as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein,

the working area has a first area in which the trolley travels along a virtual straight line and a second area in which the trolley travels along a virtual curve,

the photographing part is configured to correspond to the second region.

8. The travel control system for a truck as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein,

the working area has a third area where the trolley stops,

the photographing part is configured to correspond to the third region.

9. A travel control method for a carrier vehicle for autonomous travel with the carrier vehicle, characterized by comprising the steps of,

capturing an image including the truck and the dolly,

an operation of the truck and an operation of the truck are acquired based on the captured image including the first feature portion for indicating the position or the orientation given to the truck and the second feature portion for indicating the position or the orientation given to the truck on the travel route,

The travel of the truck is controlled according to the operation of the truck and the operation of the trolley traveling in the work area.